The Muck: Heated Twitter Debate Follows Aaron Massey's Request for No Congrats

5 min read
Aaron Massey stirred up some controversy on Twitter this week.

Tournament poker players know the disappointment that can come with finishing short of victory, even when the result comes with a nice payday or respectable ROI. But the question of whether or not tournament staff working events should offer up their congrats for deep runs that don't end in a win has been brought up for debate.

Chicago-based mid-stakes tournament grinder Aaron Massey took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his disapproval for messages of "congratulations" coming from WSOP staff following players' eliminations, and, of course debate in the poker Twitterverse ensued.

A quick gander at Massey's Hendon Mob page would indicate that the tweet was likely prompted by his most recent Circuit cash which came on Tuesday — a 21st-place finish in a $400 Turbo NLH at the Rio Las Vegas that earned him $700. If he fired at least two bullets, he cashed for a loss and most would agree 21st in an event such as this is not much to celebrate, especially for an accomplished pro with over $3.7 million in live earnings to his credit.

Still, many felt Massey's comment was out of line, though it did get over 100 likes and the support of Matt Salsberg.

Others suggested poker players should perhaps not complain about positive comments coming from members of staff who help keep poker players in action.

As part of his defense, Salsberg suggested that there are exceptions, like when the cash is for a hefty sum.

Some fellow poker players found Massey's comment overly sensitive and unreasonable, and openly expressed their opposition to the original tweet.

Massey responded less than kindly to that one. Salsberg also fired back, saying it doesn't tilt him but he'd prefer use of different language, while Uncle Ron provided some comedic relief.

A couple of other pros also spoke out against Massey's tweet, one of them a rather unlikely source according to some.

Massey fired shots right back at Berkey, taking the conversation a bit off the rails.

That prompted Berkey's question, "Who hurt you?" and all of the above provided many in the poker community plenty to discuss, even if little consensus emerged on the appropriate language to be used by tournament staff at poker events.

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